Why Be Vegan?

Veganism is good for the Animals!

True animal lovers are vegan

Animals have rich and fulfilling emotional and social lives! They love and appreciate their lives in the same way you and I do. They play in the sun, scuffle in the dirt, run from danger and sacrifice themselves to protect their young.
The emotional bonds between them have been scientifically verified and we know we can form bonds with them ourselves. We could bond with farm animals just like cats and dogs if we wanted.

Is eating meat ethical?

We don't need animal products to survive and be healthy, strong and fit, so is it moral to take what we don't need when they suffer so greatly?

Is it right to deny them a full life for the sake of our tastes?

Farming is problematic

When an animal's body is seen as a unit of production, all aspects of their life are rated as worthy or unworthy relative to their financial merit. Food animals are not protected by law in the same way that companion animals are, and this has led to a myriad of commonplace farming practices which are grossly inhumane and horrifically cruel.

Consider veganism

The human-animal relationship is inherently flawed. We love them, we make beautiful artisic images of them and then we exploit and abuse their bodies in a massive system of production that sees tens of millions of animals slaughtered in New Zealand each year simply to satisfy taste. We unnecessarily exploit animals for food, clothing, entertainment and experimentation. A great documentary on this is earthlings. If you really want to help animals the answer is simple and easy - be vegan!

The sad reality of farmlife

At the Vegan Society we care about animals and we reckon you probably do too - otherwise you wouldn't be reading this website. We know that most people don't wish to harm animals and the reality of farm life is often hidden from view. People can be shocked when they find out the truth!

New Zealand farms are typical of farms across the workd. They usually operate as they are permitted within the bounds of the law. These are all legal farming pracices! There is not one single farming system that isn't damaging or inherently cruel. Even free range systems have major systemic problems that stem from viewing animals as economic units.

Farming industry list of shame

These are just a few common pracices you'll find in New Zealand farms. there are hundreds more examples of institutionalised torture but lets start with the worst...

Cruelty to hens:

Extreme confinement

De beaking and de clawing without anaesthetic

Extreme laying cycles that leave bones crippled and broken from lack of calcium

Confinement causes insanity which brings about cannibalism

Birds lose feathers due to ammonia burns from urine

Broiler hens (used for meat) are engineered to be clinically obese genetic freaks, their legs often crippled under their enormous weight as their bones are bred to be soft to prevent human choking

They frequently suffer premature heart attacks due to their groteque proportions

Cruelty to sheep and cows:

Tails, horns and testicles are removed without any pain relief

Cows are forcibly inseminated to create unnatural lifelong pregnancy and milk production which often causes udder problems, early death and calcium deficiency

Emotional cruelty - dairy calves are removed from their mothers usually around 1 day old, and bobby calves sent to slaughter while they are still just a few weeks old at most as they are of no use to the dairy industry

Veal calves are intentionally weakened and malnourished to keep their bones soft

Merino sheep have their buttocks sliced off (mulesing) without pain relief to reduce fly strike

Cruelty to pigs:

Extreme confinement for almost all of their life causes pigs to go insane and cannibalise

Pigs often resite in absolute filth, with dead siblings nearby as permitted by New Zealand law

Animal Documentaries

EarthlingsCovering pet stores, puppy mills and animal profession, Earthlings includes footage obtained through the use of hidden cameras to chronicle the day-to-day practices of some of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely on animals. It draws parallels between racism, sexism, and speciesism.